It is known art to realize separators of the afore mentioned type wherein a specific mechanical device acts, because of compressing actions, or because of friction, or more because of collision, in such a way that the interaction between conveniently shaped parts of such a device and the biomasses in process would allow the mechanical crushing of said biomasses introduced inside the device. Further separating devices, for example of the cyclonic type, are then placed downstream to allow the selection of the previously crushed particles.
For example, the European Application EP-A-1712286 in the name of MANOLA teaches about the use of shaped rollers rotatable around their own axis and around a central cylinder that during the rotation, because of collision and eventually compression, would crush the biomasses, particularly composed of organic dry materials, thanks to the interaction of the biomasses themselves with the shaped revolving rollers and the central cylinder.
Such a device, particularly effective in extracting organic matrixes from the dry biomasses (for example hazelnut shells, or woody fibers), however exhibits the disadvantage that, in case wherein matrixes with protein content are destined to be extracted from the organic material easily to degrade, the contact of the biomasses with the crushing surfaces of rollers and the cylinder may cause the modification of the active ingredients of the organic matrixes that are intended to be extracted.
It is further known, for example in the US Application US-A-2002/0117564 in the name of HANH et al., how to realize micrometric separators wherein the material to be crushed, not necessarily composed of biomasses, is conveyed in a fluid bed that is alternatively subjected, inside a proper chamber, to high increases and decreases of pressure, for example obtained by servo-controlled rotors being able to generate pressure waves, so to cause the crush of the material conveyed by the fluid because of resonance.
These equipments, although efficient for crushing hard materials, are difficult to regulate for crushing biomasses to the end of obtaining selected matrixes containing convenient active ingredients, and they are further technically complex and expensive.
According to another technique, for example known from the International Patent Application WO 2008/053475, the biomass crushing for extracting organic matrixes containing active ingredients is carried out by an apparatus that is able to generate vortex motions inside an air flow wherein the biomasses are dispersed in particles. Such vortex motions may be generated in a cylindrical chamber, introducing tangential fluidic flows with high pressures and predefined flow rates. Such an apparatus does not prevent particles of the introduced biomasses from colliding against the walls of the cylindrical receptacle, or even from remaining in contact with such walls, during their processing, with a possible consequent modification of the active ingredients contained in the organic matrixes to be extracted.
It is an object of the present invention to realize an apparatus for micrometric separation of biomasses in particles not presenting the drawbacks of the known art before complained.
It is then an object of the present invention to provide a micrometric separator for biomasses allowing an efficient crushing of biomasses, and a corresponding subsequent selection, being able to provide organic matrixes containing active ingredients, for example proteins, extremely pure.
Another object of the present invention is to realize a micrometric separator for biomasses allowing to obtain extremely high yields.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a micrometric separator for biomasses being compact and technically easy to produce.